You are Precious to Me, Dearest
by Rosa Cotton
Summary: PreWar of the Ring. A young Pippin and Frodo's first meeting. Short and cute. Reviews are welcome.


Disclaimer: _The Lord of the Rings_, all characters, places, and related terms are the sole property of J.R.R. Tolkien's estate.

Author's Note: "The Old Walking Song" which Frodo sings to Pippin is from "Three is Company" from The Fellowship of the Ring. This story is pre-War of the Ring – except for the Epilogue, which is post-War of the Ring. I found the meaning of Pippin's name at The Encyclopedia of Arda. I don't recall many – if any – stories about Frodo and Pippin when they're this young.

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You are Precious to Me, Dearest

Frodo sat at the table with his cousins Bilbo Baggins, Merry Brandybuck, and his Aunt Eglantine and Uncle Paladin Took, having afternoon tea. The talk resounded around the weather and a cousin's upcoming birthday. As the tea and biscuits were finished off and the idle talk died down, Frodo couldn't help shifting a little uneasily in his chair. He and Bilbo had come to see their little cousin, Peregrin. (Unsurprisingly, they had discovered that Merry was also visiting their Took relatives; he had visited them quite often in the last few weeks.) But he was not entirely comfortable around small children, since he just lived with Bilbo and no longer at Brandy Hall. Dear Bilbo was very popular with the wee lads and lasses, however. And Merry was very good with Peregrin, being able to calm him sometimes even when Paladin, Eglantine, and Lila, Pippin's nanny, could not -- so Frodo had heard. And from how Merry spoke of their little cousin when they were together – whom he had bestowed calling just "Pippin" -- it was clear to Frodo that he was quite fond of him…

Frodo was jolted out of his thoughts as the sound of loud crying was heard. Through the door came a young hobbit woman, holding a wiggling bundle. Merry exchanged an enquiring look with his aunt, and she smiled in consent. He excitedly jumped up from his chair and rushed to the woman.

"Come and see, Bilbo, Frodo!" he exclaimed, beckoning.

Bilbo looked flustered, smiled, and remained seated. Frodo came forward slowly, also a little flustered. Merry took the wailing bundle from the hobbit woman, who fussed like a mother hen, wringing her hands nervously in the manner of inexperienced nannies, and kept cautioning him to be ever so careful.

"Do not worry, Lila," Eglantine said, barely keeping a laugh in check. "Merry has been very good with him and has calmed him before." She shared an amused smile with the two men.

Merry gently rocked back and forth, singing. The wails did not subside. He turned to Frodo and smiled, pausing in his singing before continuing. Frodo reached Merry's side and looked down. The tiny face was slightly red from his crying. Tears streamed from his tightly shut eyes. His arms made their way from the blanket and frayed about. The tiny hands were balled into fists. A little dark brown hair covered his small head. This was Peregrin, barely three months old. Merry was unsuccessful in quieting him.

"Would you like to hold him?" Paladin's voice came from the table.

Frodo gulped nervously; Lila looked like she would faint, having her charge in the arms of a mere tweenager! Before she could intervene, and Frodo knew quite where he was at, he found himself gently cradling the babe in his arms. His nerves were not calmed as Lila started fussing even more than she had with Merry. Softly Frodo started singing, trying to calm himself more than anything else. The words that fell from his mouth surprised even him.

"_The Road goes ever on and on, _

_Down from the door where it began." _

Peregrin's cries immediately stopped when Frodo started singing and tilted his head, as though to listen better. The grownups at the table could not hear, but they observed that Frodo must have calmed his little cousin, for wails no longer filled the room. Merry listened and watched, a delighted and slightly curious look on his face. Lila was speechless, though no more at ease than before. Peregrin's eyes opened wide, and he stared up at Frodo.

"_Now far ahead the Road has gone, _

_And I must follow, if I can_

_Pursuing it with weary feet…"_

Frodo, securely holding his tiny cousin, carefully and slowly wiped away with a finger the tears that were on the little one's cheeks. He then rested his hand lightly on top of the blanket. Peregrin blinked; their gazes locked. Everything around Frodo seemed to disappear, and time stopped as he gazed into his cousin's dark blue eyes. A hand reached up to Frodo's shirt and grabbed a tiny fistful.

"…_Until it joins some larger way, _

_Where many paths and errands meet._

_And whither then?_ _I cannot say."_

Frodo finished his song in a threadbare whisper. A great sigh heaved from the tiny body in his arms. Peregrin then let go of his cousin's shirt and withdrew his hand. While he did so, he pulled Frodo's heart from his chest. Light and dark blue eyes continued to examine each other.

"You're about as good with him as Merry is," Eglantine said, breaking the spell.

Frodo looked up her and smiled a little shyly. Merry, jubilant that Frodo's first meeting with their new cousin had gone well – he had noticed his cousin's earlier obvious uneasiness – smiled. "Perhaps he will remember and follow you."

Frodo looked at him in puzzlement.

"Your song," Merry explained. "You calmed him with a song about traveling, going on a journey. He may remember it and follow you if you go off somewhere far and for a long time," he said, completely serious.

This produced several chuckles from the adults, voicing their doubts. Lila, however, took half a step forward, as though she wanted to take back her charge, in fear that Frodo would make off with him then and there.

Frodo looked thoughtful. "Peregrin," he whispered, "'traveler in strange countries,'" he mused. Would he indeed make a journey someday? No, surely not. His parents would never allow him to. Frodo's heart jumped as he felt tiny fingers take possession of his index finger. He looked down at Peregrin and felt his heart melt all over again as he let himself drown in the dark pools of his eyes.

The rest of the afternoon Frodo joined Merry in watching Peregrin – Pippin, Frodo started calling him also – with Lila. There was something special about this particular cousin of his. He sensed that he would do great things in the future.

When it was time for him and Bilbo to leave, Frodo crept into Pippin's nursery. He was peacefully asleep in his cradle. For a few moments he simply watched the sleeping hobbit. His face was full of innocence and content. He would probably never leave the Shire. He would grow up in the safety of this haven, be content to maybe venture round the Shire, but never beyond, Frodo thought to himself. He would help in sheltering this special cousin. He placed a featherlike kiss on the babe's brow.

"You are precious to me, dearest," Frodo whispered in his ear.

Pippin slept on.

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Epilogue

The years passed and Pippin grew up. Of his closest friends, Sam Gamgee was Frodo's best friend. Frodo's prediction concerning Pippin trooping over the Shire was correct when he traveled with him and Sam to Crickhollow. But Merry was also correct with his prediction of Pippin following Frodo on a journey – he also accompanied the three hobbits. Frodo could not persuade his young cousin to stay safely in the Shire after the conspiracy was unmasked.

Many remember Sam's faithfulness to his master, who followed him to Mount Doom. But Frodo long after the events of that long year remembers Pippin's loyalty to him. His heart melts when he thought of how Pippin would not let him face the journey alone even with Sam and Merry coming with him.

While Frodo loves all three hobbits very much, he always has had a special place in his heart for Pippin. He fondly remembers when he first held Pippin in his arms. He was so innocent then and until he left the Shire. Now his eyes are full of the knowledge of fear, of pain, and of grief. Frodo could not keep him safe from the rest of the world. But the one thing that has not changed about Pippin is the great love he has for Frodo. He is extremely close to Merry, but he has always shared a special bond with his oldest cousin.

Even before and after Pippin became famous for his part in the War of the Ring and the Scouring of the Shire, he is still precious to Frodo. His dearest.

THE END

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I don't know what you thought of this but I loved writing it. It is just too cute and sweet. *sigh* Let me know what you think. Thank you, shirebound, for catching that mistake. It slipped by me – obviously. :)


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